There was something sacred about the hush before a lab session began—the clink of glassware, the faint scent of ethanol, the silent war for the best microscope. Aanya adjusted her lab coat, tying her hair into a bun with scientific precision. She was ready. Or so she thought.
"Miss me, Einstein?" Rudra drawled, sliding into the seat beside her, his crooked grin igniting alarms more potent than any Bunsen burner.
Aanya shot him a glare sharp enough to pierce lab goggles. "You're late."
"I'm fashionably reactive," he said, dropping his textbook on the table. "Like potassium in water. Boom."
Across the room, Kiara narrowed her eyes at the duo. She tugged at her designer scarf, plastering a sweet smile on her face as she leaned toward Dev. “Do you think they’ve... got something going on?”
Dev didn’t look up from his notes. “You mean combustion? Definitely. Might want to stand back.”
Their professor strode in, all coat and charisma. “Class! Today, we test pH levels of common solutions. Pairs only. Results must be accurate—one miscalculation, and the experiment fails.”
“Speaking of miscalculations,” Aanya muttered as Rudra handed her the pipette upside down.
"Don’t worry, Doctor Doom," he teased. "I'll handle the dangerous parts if you promise not to set the lab on fire."
“I’d rather set you on fire,” she grumbled, but the corner of her mouth betrayed her with the faintest smile.
Their hands brushed over the pH strips. Her fingers, cold and clinical. His, calloused from football but surprisingly gentle. In the soft blue flame of the lab burner, their banter sizzled into silence.
"You're really good at this," Rudra said, almost too casually. "All the equations in your head… but somehow you still look like chaos in a lab coat."
Aanya blinked. "Is that your idea of flirting?"
He leaned closer. "Is it working?"
Before she could answer, a fizzing sound erupted. Their beaker bubbled, then popped, splashing blue liquid across the table.
“Aanya! Rudra! Step back!” the professor barked.
The class gasped. Kiara smirked.
Aanya stared at the mess, horrified. “You added lemon juice to ammonia?!”
“I thought it was vinegar!”
"It was labeled ammonium hydroxide!"
He scratched his neck sheepishly. “Okay, that one’s on me.”
While the professor restored order, Kiara sauntered over. “You two are cute. Like chaos theory and a car crash.”
Dev walked past, muttering, “More like opposites in a charged reaction.”
Later, as they mopped the mess together, Rudra’s tone softened. “You know... I’m not always messing around. I joined this class because I wanted to prove I could do more than just score goals.”
Aanya looked up, surprised. “Really?”
“Really. And maybe… because I wanted a reason to sit beside you every week.”
She rolled her eyes, but her smile gave her away. "You’re insufferable."
"And you’re irresistible when you’re mad," he said, flicking a drop of water at her playfully.
And just like that, the lab was no longer just about pH levels or pipettes. It was about sparks—some chemical, some personal, and all dangerously close to ignition.
Flirty Quote from the Chapter:
"You might be the acid in this experiment, Aanya... but damn, I think I’m ready to react." 🔥
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 38 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments